LEARNING LEVELS

Find your level.

Every swimmer moves through clear levels, from first splash to squad racing. Choose Basic or Competitive Learning to see how long each level takes.

Basic Learning

Designed for students who want to build water safety, self-confidence and essential swimming skills at a comfortable, self-directed pace. It suits both children and adults who value enjoyment, fitness or personal growth. With one lesson a week, students progress in a supportive environment with minimal pressure, building body coordination, stroke mechanics and lifelong water safety skills.

Ideal for families who want a balanced, enjoyable swimming experience rather than fast competitive development.

Competitive Learning

For students who want to race, join a squad and push their personal best times. With two or more sessions a week, progress is faster through more repetition, structured drills and coach-led feedback. Students also join online and onsite gym activities for strength, flexibility and dry-land conditioning, and learn about swim club membership and competition timing.

Best for motivated swimmers committed to regular attendance and long-term athletic development.

Competitive Learning entry assessment

This pathway starts with a full educational assessment that covers:

Physical fitness: strength, endurance and flexibility benchmarks

Body coordination and movement patterns: motor efficiency and stroke synergy

In-water technique: all competitive strokes, mechanical proficiency and efficiency

Rhythm and breathing: timing, breath control and stroke cadence

Online gym exercise activities to support dry-land conditioning

Stage 1 · Learn to Swim

Beginner / Safety

1 lesson per week

About 6–12 months at this level

Students are just getting comfortable in the water.

Get used to being in the water and moving safely

Learn to float on front and back

Start swimming with doggy paddle

Learn breath control underwater

Develop a steady kick from the hips

Understand basic pool safety rules

Level 5

1 lesson per week

About 3–9 months at this level

Builds on water confidence with structured stroke technique.

Backstroke arm movement and leg kick

Freestyle kick: a steady flutter kick from the hips

Better body balance and posture in the water

Level 6

1 lesson per week

About 6–9 months at this level

One of the most challenging levels. Freestyle breathing begins here.

Freestyle breathing: how and when to breathe sideways

Body rhythm: arms, legs and core moving smoothly together

How to reduce drag (a flatter, faster body position)

Freestyle endurance over short distances

Level 7

1 lesson per week

About 3–9 months at this level

Focuses on freestyle fluency and introduces breaststroke.

High-elbow freestyle: a more powerful, efficient arm swing

Consistent arm stroke rhythm

Introduction to breaststroke body position and frog kick

Better turns and push-offs at the wall

Note: without regular practice, technique can regress between weekly sessions.

Level 8

1 lesson per week

About 3–9 months at this level

Breaststroke is the main new skill at this level.

Breaststroke arm pull and frog kick coordination

The glide: the pause after the kick that saves energy

Breathing timing in breaststroke

Continued freestyle and backstroke improvement

Diving assessment required: attend 3–5 diving classes during the school holidays to prepare for and pass this requirement.

Stage 1 · Learn to Swim

Beginner / Safety

2 group lessons per week

About 3–6 months at this level

Twice-weekly sessions build confidence much faster.

Reach floating and doggy paddle in less time

Keep skills better, with less forgetting between lessons

Bad habits are corrected early by the coach

Advantage: reaches the next level in roughly half the time.

Level 5

1 group + 1 private lesson per week

About 2–6 months at this level

The private lesson allows direct correction of specific weaknesses.

The group lesson adds social motivation and peer learning

Advantage: up to 2–3x faster progress than once a week.

Level 6

1 group + 1–2 private lessons per week

About 3–6 months at this level

Private lessons are critical here, because breathing is very hard to fix in a group.

Breathing mechanics corrected immediately and consistently

Errors fixed before they become permanent habits

Advantage: reduces time at this level by up to half.

Level 7

2 group + 1 private lesson per week

About 2–5 months at this level

High-elbow technique is nuanced and needs a coach's eye.

Targeted private corrections speed up arm technique

Two group sessions build volume and endurance

Advantage: can reduce time at Level 7 by up to 50%.

Level 8

2 group + 1 private lesson per week

About 2–4 months at this level

Frequent targeted correction fast-tracks breaststroke technique.

Breaststroke kick corrected across multiple sessions

Glide and timing developed much faster

More confidence and preparation for the diving assessment

Advantage: faster progress across all breaststroke skills. Diving assessment required: attend 3–5 diving classes during the school holidays.

Stage 2 · Squad Development

1 session per week (2 hours)

About 3 months at this level

R1 is the start of squad training.

Build stamina: longer swims, shorter rests

Learn racing dives from the block and touch turns

Practise turns for all four strokes

Begin butterfly in a squad environment

Learn lane rules and how to follow coach-directed sets

Note: higher frequency is needed to build aerobic capacity efficiently.

1–2 sessions per week (2 hours each)

About 3–6 months at this level

Training becomes more demanding.

Practise advanced drills for all four strokes

Refine dive starts and turns for every stroke

Learn to hold technique even when tired, a key race skill

Begin race-format training with split times and pacing

Note: two sessions per week is strongly recommended at this level.

2 sessions per week (2 hours each)

About 3–6 months at this level

Hybrid training: each session mixes technique drills, race sets and fitness conditioning, just like a real swim club.

Dry-land exercises for core strength and flexibility

Race preparation: split-time goals and race-pace sets

Plus 1 club training session per week

M1 – M3

2 sessions per week (2 hours each)

About 3–9 months per level

M1–M3 moves from foundation skill building to performance-oriented training.

Underwater phases: fast kicks after push-offs to reduce drag

Breakouts: powerful first strokes after each wall

Sprint sets and race-pace training

Pacing strategies: even-split and negative-split racing

School carnival and club competition preparation

Squad

2 sessions per week (2 hours each)

About 3–9 months

The peak training group. Each session combines technique, race-pace and speed training.

High-intensity sprint sets and race-specific fitness

Full race strategy for all four strokes and Individual Medley (IM)

Mental performance goal setting, visualisation and race-day routines

School carnival and club competition preparation

For families: consistent attendance is essential. Parental support plays a key role in success at this level.

Stage 2 · Squad Development

Mini Squad: 2 sessions per week (2 hours each)

About 3 months at this level

Four hours a week builds aerobic fitness and squad discipline faster.

Dive technique and racing starts become more consistent

Turn techniques reinforced with more repetition

More coaching time for butterfly

Advantage: swimmers training twice a week move through R1 in about half the time.

Mini Squad: 4 hours per week

About 3–6 months at this level

Double the weekly volume builds competitive fitness faster.

Advanced technique correction across all strokes, more often

Race-specific diving and turning with more repetition

Timed swims and competitive race formats introduced

Advantage: swimmers at this level are on track for local club competition entry.

Mini Squad: 4 hours per week + 1 club training

About 3 months at this level

Advanced hybrid sets and club exposure build competitive readiness.

Gym-based conditioning alongside pool training

Targeted feedback on race performance and splits

Advantage: competitive resilience and confidence built quickly.

M1 – M3

3 sessions per week (2 hours each) + 3 club trainings

About 3–6 months per level

High volume and a technique focus for fast improvement.

Club training builds real race experience and squad culture

Advanced race techniques: starts, turns, breakouts, underwater

Event-specific specialisation and personal best time targeting

Advantage: preparing for regional and state-level events.

Squad

Mini Squad: 2 hours per week + at least 2 club sessions per week

Ongoing, targeting state and national events

The highest commitment level in the program.

Periodised training plan timed around competition calendars

Advanced race starts, turns and underwater phases

Peak gym and aquatic conditioning combined

Visualisation and race-day mental strategies

Regular club, regional and state competition experience

For families: consistent attendance across both squad and club training is essential for competitive results.

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